Akira: Rejuvination and Retribution
by Gunsmoke1
Summary: This fic basically says, "what if Tetsuo survived?"
1. Default Chapter

Chapter 1: Revival  
  
"Someday we'll manage it."  
  
"It's already begun."  
  
Where am I? What's happening? Am I even alive? I don't feel like it. Eyes opened and their owner saw a clear blue sky with a handful of white, fluffy clouds. Are there clouds in hell? The eyes blinked themselves, and their sight became filtered with a reddish tint. The owner of the eyes, it seemed, also owned an arm with a hand attached, so he used this to rub his eye. He viewed his hand with a half-interest, noting the spot of blood he had wiped from his eye. Do people bleed in hell? The man dismissed this thought as a cough erupted from his lungs and smashed through his throat and out of his mouth. He rolled over and supported himself on a single arm and two knees as he coughed violently. Aren't I supposed to have two arms? He wondered offhandedly, not really caring. His train of thought was once again interrupted as more coughs flew out of him and racked his body. As he coughed blood spattered onto the ground below his shaking body in small droplets. Finally the coughs stopped and the man collapsed onto his stomach. I feel like crap. He turned his head sideways and looked at the skyline. He saw water, lots of water. He also saw, far away and over the water, some very tall buildings. Not all were tall, however, and many seemed to be mutilated and broken down.  
He gave another wet, sick-sounding cough. Don't tell me I have pneumonia or something. He watched as a huge black bird landed a few feet from him and hopped nearer. He didn't mind as it stood inches away from him, bobbing and tilting its' head side to side. When it began pecking at him, however, he got annoyed. He murmured something unintelligible, meaning for it to stop, but the bird continued. Stupid bird. The man felt angry. Why did this idiot creature have to decide to try and eat him? "Get away." He murmured. The man gritted his teeth. The bird had made a hole in his already ragged shirt and began pecking at his skin. "I said get away." The man murmured louder. The bird glanced at him for a moment, and then went back to pecking. I hate birds. A vein stood out from the man' neck as his anger grew. A few pebbles nearby started shaking, and the mans' hair started waving in the still air. Suddenly the bird stopped pecking and became motionless. Its' feet lifted a few inches off the ground and it started squirming, as if in the grip of an invisible hand. There was a faint crack its' light bones began snapping. I remember hearing about how fragile birds' bones are. More veins stuck out from the mans' neck, and suddenly the bird was flung away as if shot out of a cannon. That's what you get for screwing with me you stupid buzzard. Thought the man as he watched the bird retract into a black dot, then finally disappear. No one can push me around anymore, not even Akira. He passed out.  
  
"Hahahahah! So then I beat the crap out of the guy and left him there in his underwear! Ahahahaha!" "Yeah, that was the last time that gang ever screwed with us! Hahahahahah. Man, Kaneda, you sure are good at showing people who's boss!" A small group of people was sitting in a dark, smoky bar at a table laughing and conversing loudly. In the background a T.V flashed various images of destruction and death, but the boisterous group paid no attention. They were looping broadcasts anyway. Most of the reporters had already died. The group just continued their rowdy conversation, laughing and swinging their drinks around. There were four people seated around the table. Kaneda, the center of most of the attention, was wearing red pants, a red jacket over a black shirt, and a pair of sturdy boots. Kei, the only female in the group, had a pair of jeans and a jacket. One of the other men, Koji, was dressed similar to Kaneda and Kei while the last man, Sosuke, was dressed in a loose military uniform. They all looked worn and tired, but by looking at the group one got the distinct impression that a great weight had been released from all their shoulders recently.  
Kaneda stood up from his seat, banging his empty glass on the table, and walked over to the dilapidated jukebox that sat in the corner of the bar. He looked through the selection and chose his favorite band, Geinoh Yamashirogumi. As the song began playing, he thought back to last time he had heard this song, the night it had all started. It had been about three weeks ago, before Tetsuo had. changed. It had also been before Tetsuo had died. Kaneda had been there the whole time, watching the horrible changes occur in his once-friend. From the night when he had found Tetsuo writhing on the ground in pain next to his ruined bike to the very end, when his friend had been reduced to that huge, squirming, pulsating. thing. He had watched as Tetsuo, suddenly imbued with powers he was never meant to have, slowly went insane. Slowly lost control of his body and mind. And at the very end as Akira, the very one Tetsuo had set out to find, began enveloping the entire city in a massive explosion, Tetsuo had called out to him. He had called for Kaneda, crying out for his help. There was nothing I could do. He was too far-gone anyway. Kaneda had been reassuring himself a lot lately, he realized. He almost felt guilty, but not quite. He knew it wasn't really his fault. It was more that he felt pain for the loss of his friend. "Hey Kaneda, what're you doing? Ya' haven't gone into a coma from one beer have ya'?" Kaneda turned back to his friends and smiled. Besides, I have plenty of friends in the here and now.  
  
A lone figure pulled itself onto a heavily littered beach on the outskirts of the city. As he got onto the shore, he bent over and coughed heavily, reddish water falling from his gasping mouth. Finally he was able to restrain his coughing and stand up once again, somewhat weakly. He blinked stinging salt water from his eyes and looked around, trying to recognize exactly where he was. Everything is different. Akira really screwed this place up. The man winced as salt water dripped onto the area where his right arm should have been, stinging the large wound. I'll have to fix that. As before with the bird, a vein stood out on the man's neck and small objects nearby began shaking wildly. Sand blew around him erratically as various pieces of metal and other scrap began being pulled, as if by a magnet, toward his right side. The scraps and pieces of garbage slowly began shaping themselves into a recognizable shape, until there was no longer a hole where the man's arm should have been. He looked down and surveyed his new "arm" and was satisfied. Not as good as the last one, but I'm still recovering. The man flexed his new appendage as he walked up the beach towards the city. 


	2. Chapter 2: Before the Storm

Chapter 2: Before the Storm  
  
Kaneda slammed his fist down on the table and widened his mouth in disbelief and anger. "What do you mean you only accept U.S money now?! This is Japan you idiot!" He stood facing a very ugly and dirty mechanic, who swaggered and seemed to feed on Kaneda's anger. The ugly/dirty man gave a short, harsh laugh. "Listen, buddy. Do you seriously expect me to accept Yen when Japan is in this condition? In case you didn't notice, not only Neo-Tokyo is screwed up right now. All of Japan is. Having a countries' capital reduced to smoking rubble can do that to an economy. America, though, is perfectly stable right now. In fact, I'm planning on moving my business there as soon as I get the money. So unless you pay me five-hundred AMERICAN dollars, I'm keeping your bike as a souvenir when I leave." Kaneda slammed the grimy counter again then turned his back on the man, crossing his arms. "Fine, I'll get you your freaking money. Just don't pawn off my bike or anything." The ugly man smiled victoriously. "Ya' got a week." Kaneda cringed, then sighed. "Fine, a week."  
He slammed through the front door muttering. I never should have gotten rid of that laser cannon, he thought sulkily as he stormed off into the dark alley beside the pawnshop. He walked to the back of the alley and pulled out what looked like a garbage can with two wheels on it. Its' only temporary. Just remember that its' only temporary. Kaneda sighed loudly as he rolled the scavenged motorcycle out of the alley and onto the road. He sat down on the miserable excuse for a bike and attempted to turn it on, but all it did was make a coughing, sputtering sound, then splatter a burst of thick, dark fluid onto the pavement. "Terrific. Just terrific. My day is going great already," Kaneda sighed to himself. He got off the bike once again, put the kickstand down, and stood back examining it. "Hmm. Maybe THIS will help!" Kaneda stormed as he solidly kicked the bike. He jumped in surprise when the bike started. "Wow, now that's more like-" Kaneda was interrupted as the bikes' gas tank fell to the ground. "." said Kaneda.  
The gas tank lay on the ground leaking gas everywhere, as the bike fell over, the kickstand having fallen off, and the back wheel rolled off and bumped against a homeless person who promptly grabbed it and ran off. "." repeated Kaneda. He reached into his pocket, taking out a match. "Fine, you want a piece of me? Well let's see how playful you are when you're a BURNING PILE OF WRECKAGE!" Kaneda paused. "Umm... as opposed to a non-burning pile of wreckage that is..." Kaneda lit the match and tossed it onto the puddle of gasoline, backing away. The fire immediately ignited the gasoline, engulfing the entire remnants of the temporary bike Kaneda had been using. Kaneda laughed hysterically as the bike was consumed by the conflagration, its' paint melting off, and its' only remaining tire popping from the heat. As he laughed, the fire glinted in his eyes and illuminated him, making him look like some kind of tribal shaman performing a sacred ritual.  
He was dancing around the engulfed bike, still laughing, when Koji and Sosuke pulled up on their bikes. "Umm. Hey, Kaneda.?" Sosuke ventured nervously. Kaneda immediately stopped jumping and laughing. "Uhh. Y-Yes?" Kaneda replied, turning around. "What, exactly, were you doing?" Koji asked him incredulously. Kaneda glanced back and the burning hunk of metal he had just been dancing around. "Oh, uhh, heheh. Just thought, umm, you know. We should lighten up a bit and have some fun." "By burning your bike?" asked Koji. "And speaking of bikes," put in Sosuke, "Where's your real bike anyway? I thought you had all the money you needed?" Kanedas' face flushed, and he got an angry look on his face. "Hey, lets' go beat the crap out of someone and take their money. How about the Eagles?" "What," Koji asked." That new American gang?" Kaneda smiled evilly. "Yes, that American gang." He hopped on Koji's bike. "Let's go then! Come on! Lets' go!" Kaneda shouted. Man, Kaneda sure is acting weird today. thought Sosuke and Koji simultaneously. They sped off.  
  
In the shop, the ugly man went to the front of the store and looked into the street, seeing the burning bike. The man growled. Grr. I'll make him pay extra for that. He walked to the back of his store and picked up a dented and rusty fire extinguisher, and tried to find a shovel to push the rubble off the street in front of his store. As he was at the back of the store, he heard the bell ringing that signified someone coming into his store. "One second, I'll be right there," he called. No reply. The dirty/ugly man rolled his eyes. Could at least let me know you're not deaf. He thought angrily. Finally having everything he needed, the man turned around and went back to the counter. "What d'ya want?" The man asked. He looked at the other side of the counter to see a young man with wavy brown hair spiking up above his head, torn clothes, and an arm that seemed to be made completely of metal scraps.  
What the. What is this? Thought the man confusedly. "What do you want?" Asked the man again. The person on the other side of the counter just smiled. "Some clothes would be nice," he said quietly. "Yeah, we-well I don't sell none here. And by the way, what's up with your arm? Is that the poor mans' version of a prosthetic arm?" Asked the barkeeper with a half-smile on his face. The man on the other side of the counter just smiled wider. "No, just the "special" man's prosthetic arm. And I see some clothes right over there." The ugly/dirty man got angry. He didn't have time for some homeless bums' chatter. "Listen punk, I don't have time for this crap. Why don't you go live your crappy life somewhere else?" The metal-armed man shook his head slowly back and forth. "Tsk tsk tsk. Not very nice of you. An interesting choice of last words too." The ugly/dirty man managed a confused look as the lights flickered, and then suddenly felt his throat tighten. It felt like his body had been gripped by hundreds of little arms and hands, and they were all pulling him in different directions. The shopkeeper was suddenly filled with shock as he struggled against the multiple tiny hands. Wait! I know who that is now! I remember the news broadcasts! "You-You're. T-Tetsuo!" gasped the man. Tetsuo nodded, smiling, and there was a ripping sound. 


	3. Chapter 3: Before the Storm

Chapter 3: Before the Storm  
  
Kei sat alone at a table in the bar that she, along with Kaneda and their other new friends, often frequented. Sighing to herself, she wondered where her three comrades had gone. Don't tell me those idiots are off picking a fight with a rival gang again... After what Kaneda and Kei, not to mention the whole city, had been through, Kei had thought that this mindless fighting between gangs would at least slow down for a while. Instead, the fighting had escalated as various gangs vied for control in the chaos-ridden city. Kei gazed into her glass, shaking her head. It's humanity. She thought. As a whole, humanity always has been and always will be foolish. With every individual unit working for its' own personal gain, how can the whole survive? Whether it be governments, families, individuals, or even gangs, it's all the same. The group or individual thinks they can watch out only for themselves and somehow humanity will live on. If we as a species continue on this path, all we'll end up doing is destroying our rivals until there is no one left... And then we will simply destroy ourselves. That's how it is. Human nature. Human nature is to destroy. Its' unavoidable. Kei once again shook her head and laughed a low, silent laugh. "Wow, would you listen to me?" she murmured. "So philosophical tonight..." She was suddenly startled out of her musing as a rowdy group burst through the front door and into the bar. It was Kaneda, Sosuke, and Koji. Sosuke was nursing an arm that hung loosely in an obviously homemade sling. "Kaneda!" Kei growled, standing up from her seat. "You went out fighting again, didn't you?" Kaneda just grinned, that large toothy smile that looked like it came from a child rather than a teenaged street gang leader and partial world-saver. "Of course we did Kei," he replied happily, walking over to the bar. "What do you want us to do, let the fat, lazy gangs take over just because we don't feel like fighting? We have to do our part in the city cleanup, and I just choose to pitch in by getting rid of some of the human garbage. Whats' so bad about that?" Kei just pushed her face into her palm and sighed. "You know what Kaneda? Whatever. I don't care. Do what you want. Go get killed for all I care, because I give up. But when you die because your many enemies finally get together and kill you, don't expect me to attend your funeral." Kaneda grabbed a drink from the bartop and took a long swig from his glass. "Aww thanks Kei. That's so nice of you." Kei sighed and sat down, shaking her head as, on the TV, a new news report was made on an obviously makeshift system. The reporter wasn't wearing makeup, and the signal was frequently interrupted with short bursts of static, but it was all that could be expected from a still-recovering city. Had Kei not been so angry, she may have noticed the new broadcast. Had Kaneda, Sosuke, and Koji not been so elated after their recent victory over the Eagle gang, and their large bag of American money, they probably still would not have noticed. Kei was the only one that ever cared about the news broadcasts anyway. Despite the lack of attention in that particular bar, however, the haggard news-reporter excitedly informed the public about a series of recent and very disturbing murders. There seemed to be no evidence of any type of weapon used, and all the murders were very messy. The bodies, if they could even be called that, were far too mutilated and widely spread to be identified. Perhaps if Kei had been watching, she would have felt some apprehension. Perhaps she would have even been worried. As it was, however, the ominous news report went by without notice.   
A young man in his mid-twenties walked down a very dark street that was littered with debris. As he walked he constantly looked around him, like he was afraid he was being followed. In between his worried glances up and down the street he read apartment numbers on doors. 629-632, 633-636... At last he reached a door with no number on it and walked up to it cautiously. He looked up and down the street twice more before knocking on the door. He waited as he heard footsteps approach the door from its' other side. Suddenly, he was surprised as the door flew open and he was grabbed by the neck and pulled inside, the door slamming shut behind him. The young man's arm was instantly pulled behind him and twisted against his back as he was shoved against a wall, and before he could utter a sound he heard the click of a pistol at his temple. "Who are you and what do you want?!" a harsh voice demanded. "I-I'm just... er... what I mean is- I..." The pistol was jammed harder against his head as the harsh voice tore at him, "Listen, if you don't answer me in 5 seconds I'll blow your brains against this wall here! I've been through enough crap to last me an entire lifetime, and I won't hesitate to pay you for it!" The man panicked, and the information poured out of him, "S-Sir, it's me! Private Yamaura! I was told to give you a package! I swear sir, it's really me! I'm just delivering this!" The gun was pulled away from Private Yamaura's head and he was spun around so that he faced the owner of the gruff hands. He saw a tall imposing man staring down at him over a mustache. "Really Colonel! It's me! Remember?! I was there with you on that day!" There was no doubt about what day that was, as there was only one day burned into the mind of every survivor of the recent incident. The Colonel released the young boy and took the package from his trembling hands. As the Colonel carried his package over to a table, young Private Yamaura slowly slid down the wall to a sitting position. Why does he have to be like that? He almost gave me a freaking heart attack before I could give him the package. Yamaura looked at the Colonels' back as the stern man sat opening his package. That day changed you. And I don't think you'll ever be the same. "Are you still here?" Demanded the Colonels' gruff voice. "Get out of here. And tell your commanding officer I said that if he ever sends me someone as incompetent as you again, he'll be hearing form me personally." Private Yamaura scrambled up off of the dirty floor and quickly saluted, then hurried out the door. Jeez, what a freak... As the door slammed closed with the privates' indignant escape, the Colonel finished opening the package. "No... It can't be!" The Colonel stood up straight suddenly, knocking over his chair. "This can't be! This is wrong!" The colonel pulled his chair back up and sat down, thinking with his head in his hands. It's not possible. This is a hoax. There's no way this can be happening...I... I'm being discharged?! 


	4. Chapter 4: The Hunt Begins

Chapter 4: The Hunt Begins  
  
"Kaneda? Kaneda?! Are you even listening to me?" Kaneda snapped back into focus, realizing he had been daydreaming while Kei was lecturing him. "Oh, umm, sure I was listening. You were talking about how irresponsible I was, I could have been hurt or even killed, blah blah blah. Don't worry, I get it. Jeez, I thought you said you'd given up on me, and I could go get myself killed if I wanted." Kei reddened with anger, and Kaneda realized he should have just shut up and nodded like a good boy. Dang, what is it with women and lectures? He wondered. "You know what Kaneda? You have a point! Maybe I really should just give up, because you never listen to me anyway! There's no point in me even staying here! In fact, I'm sure I could find much better company than... you." Well, now that we've gotten into it... Thought Kaneda. "Maybe we WOULD be better off without our mom following us around! In fact, you not only act like a mother, you look like one too! You should cut down on the snacks, chubby!" Koji and Sosuke, from their seats on the other side of the table, cringed. Covering his mouth with one hand, Koji whispered to Sosuke, "Here we go again..." Turning to the squabbling duo, Sosuke nervously stammered, "Uh.... hey guys...? This is r-really fun, but me an' Koji're gonna go back to the place a-and get some rest. This arm of mine is r-really k-killing me, and Koji's... umm.... got a really bad headache, right?" Koji nodded dumbly, hoping for an escape. Instead of replying to either of them, Kei just screamed "Chubby?! How dare you, you- you- you street rat!" Koji and Sosuke, deciding this was as good a time as any other to make an exit, did just that. As they walked through the door to head home, Kaneda and Kei were still screaming at each other. "Man," mused Koji. "It's a surprise they aren't already married..."  
About an hour later, Kaneda and Kei were still in the bar. They sat on opposite sides of the table, both panting and drenched in sweat. "Yeah- well," pant pant, "you-you're... umm... you're fat...!" said Kaneda breathlessly. "You-you... you already said... that... you immature... punk..." gasped Kei. The pair now sat watching each other in silence, except for the sounds of their heavy breathing. "Wanna go... home now...?" Kaneda asked. "Sure," Kei said. "Hey... hey bartender! One more... for the road!" she called. The bartender, a fat man with a face like a bulldog, was happy to oblige. Anything to get these crazy kids out of my place. Before long, Kaneda and Kei exited the bar and walked into the parking lot. "Aw crap, I forgot. I don't have a bike anymore," said Kaneda. "What happened to the one you were using before? You know, the one you were just keeping 'till you got your good one back?" Kei asked. "Ahh, you don't want to know," was all Kaneda said, and Kei had the good sense to leave it at that. "Well, I guess we'll have to get home the old-fashioned way then," Kaneda sighed. Slowly, the two turned and walked down the sidewalk side by side. "You know," Kaneda said, "I really didn't mean what I said in there." Kei looked up in surprise. This was completely unlike him. "You know, what I said about you being like my mom and all." A grin slowly spread across his face. "My mom was always skinny, 'cuz I'm the only kid she ever had." Kaneda's laughing was cut off bye a playful slap from Kei, as she chuckled too. "Yeah, but I meant every word of what I said in there," Kei joked. Slowly the two of them stopped laughing, and casually Kaneda slipped his arm around Kei. "Ya know," he said. "Maybe it's not such a bad thing that I don't have my bike with me." Finally, about twenty minutes later, the two reached the apartment they were all staying in. Luckily, they knew the owner, and he had given them a deal that allowed them to afford three rooms. Kaneda, being the leader, got one of his own, Kei, being a woman, got her own room, and Koji and Sosuke shared a room, not that they minded. As Kaneda and Kei walked up to the entrance of their apartment, they noticed that the gate that normally had to be unlocked was swinging open. "Stupid old people. Never remember to close the gate," mumbled Kaneda. Slipping his arm from around Kei, he walked over to the gate as they passed through it and pushed on it. Rather than swinging closed, however, the gate rocked precariously then fell over with a loud, metallic clang, causing Kei to jump. "What the...?" Kaneda wondered aloud. Walking back to Kei, the two slowly stepped into the lobby of the apartment. It was completely silent except for the hissing static coming from a TV, and Kaneda couldn't see Oraku, the man normally behind the desk. What he did notice was the splintered remains of the wooden door that had lead upstairs. That and the strange color of the wallpaper behind the lobby desk. Cautiously walking forward to examine it, Kaneda realized that the wall behind the desk was sprayed with blood, as if a red paint can had exploded. The chair behind the desk was knocked over, and lying on the ground near the chair was what remained of Oraku. It looked like he had been pulled from all different directions until... "What... is going on...?" Kaneda stammered. Kei simply stood wide-eyed, watching the scene. "Whatever this is, I don't like it." Kaneda concluded. Kei nodded, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a large pistol. Kaneda looked surprised. "What, just because I don't go busting heads for fun doesn't mean I don't pack some heat," grinned Kei. Kaneda, shrugging, headed cautiously for the destroyed door.  
The two slowly made their way up the stairs, the steps creaking ominously beneath their feet, breaking the silence that threatened to smother them. As he turned a corner, Kaneda suddenly stopped walking, causing Kei to bump into him and, in surprise, fire a gunshot at the roof. "Jeez, what are you trying to do, kill me?!" Kaneda said in a harsh whisper. "I'm sorry, but maybe if you hadn't stopped so suddenly I might not have bumped into you!" Kei replied. "Well I did have a good reason for stopping. See for yourself." Kei moved past Kaneda to look, and saw that the stairwell was a mess. It looked like a tornado had torn everything in it apart, including what looked like an overweight man with a shotgun. Once again, blood spattered the area, and the body was beyond identification. "What are we dealing with here...? Some psycho with a rocket launcher or something?" Kei muttered. "Well either way, I'm going first now. I'm the only one here with a weapon." In reply, Kanedas' arm suddenly reached past her and grabbed the gun from her hand. "No way I'm trusting you with this thing," he said. Taking the lead, Kaneda cautiously stepped around the carnage and headed up the stairs, holding the gun in both hands. The two passed the entrance to the second story and the door was intact. Suddenly, Kaneda had a revelation. "Kei... what if whoever did this was coming after us?" Immediately Kei understood. "Koji and Sosuke!" The two took off at a run, no longer worrying about keeping quiet. They ran up the stairs to the third floor, their floor, passing another corpse along the way, then stopped. This door looked just like the one in the lobby. A small chunk of wood was swinging in the doorframe, and large splinters of wood lay all around. In the space that would have been directly behind the door lay what must have been one of Kaneda and Keis' neighbors, apparently killed by the hail of wood pieces that had flown from the doorway. Jumping past the woman, who was obviously already gone, Kaneda and Kei dashed for their own rooms. They reached Kanedas' first and, looking inside, saw that it had been completely destroyed. There were pieces of the door everywhere, and everything Kaneda owned that had been in the room was destroyed. "Aww craaaaaap..." Kaneda moaned. Grabbing him, Kei ran to her room and saw it was just the same. Neither of the two allowed themselves to be distracted, however, and ran toward Sosuke and Kojis' room. Pausing at the doorframe, Kaneda quietly raised his pistol into a ready position, then rushed around the side and ran into... the door. Bouncing off like a super ball, Kaneda fell onto his back in the hallway and lay there holding a hand to his nose. "Uuuuugggghhhhh...." Kaneda complained. At just that moment, Koji and Sosuke came rushing into the hall, the former holding a pipe in his good arm and the latter clutching what looked like the arm of some sort of antique statue. The two stopped when they saw Kaneda, slowly rising to his feet, and Kei. "You guys are alive!" Koji yelled. "Thank God!" Running forward, Koji grabbed Kaneda and embraced him. "If you do not get your arms off of me this second I will break them myself," said Kaneda in a low voice. "Oh, heheh. Sorry, Kaneda." Koji said, quickly letting go. "Anyway, what the heck happened here? Me an' Sosuke just got back, cuz we decided to stop and have a doctor friend of his check out his arm. Did you guys see what happened to Oraku? What's going on around here?!" "We don't know," Kei said. "Or maybe we do..." Kaneda said, suddenly very serious. "And in that case, we need to get out of here. Now." 


End file.
